


Build-A-(Taeil-ddy)Bear

by sassy_dae



Series: NCT Winter Drabbles [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drabbles, Fluff, Gen, Haechan needs to recharge, Sleepy Cuddles, Taeil is a kind hyung, maknae and mathyung besties, taeil goes to build a bear, yuta is wise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28003242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_dae/pseuds/sassy_dae
Summary: “What will he do when you aren’t around to ‘recharge’ him?” Yuta wonders, watching Haechan tightly hug Taeil.  But Taeil has at least one idea.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Moon Taeil
Series: NCT Winter Drabbles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051646
Comments: 14
Kudos: 87





	Build-A-(Taeil-ddy)Bear

**Author's Note:**

> Challenging myself once again.
> 
> for twitter's a little wonder December Drabble Challenge Day 6: Cuddles

“Taeil-hyung~! Haechan-ie needs a recharrrrrge~!” Haechan sings as he waltzes into the 10th floor dorms unceremoniously. He waves at Mark snacking on his late night cereal and makes a bee-line for Taeil and Yuta’s room, completely ignoring the fact that it’s 2AM and either one may be asleep. As he creaks the door open, he peeks his head through to find Yuta huddled in his covers, eyes wet with tears as he hugs his knees, eyes glued to his laptop. Taeil reclines in his own bed, face buried in his phone and headphones blasting EDM music, shutting out Haechan and the world around him. 

“Hyuuuuung~!” Haechan whines as he plops on Taeil’s bed, surprising both Yuta and Taeil from their peaceful night-time routines. Taeil takes out an earbud as he looks down at Haechan who has decided to coil both arms and legs around Taeil like a giant squid. Even if Taeil wanted to, _there is no escape_.

“Haechan-ah, what are you doing?” Taeil chuckles, patting Haechan on the back with the one arm that escaped Haechan’s capture. Yuta shakes his head with a small smile, snuggling deeper into his blankets. He turns back to his show, knowing he’s not invited to their two-person party.

“I needed a recharge,” Haechan mutters sleepily. He inhales deeply, getting a whiff of Taeil’s familiar body spray and sighing contentedly. He squeezes Taeil with a little excited snort, trying to extract every ounce of energy out of Taeil’s cells. “You weren’t around earlier so I had to do my v-live half asleep,” Haechan mumbles. 

“Sorry Haechan-ie. I’ll try to tell the managers to clear my schedule for you next time,” Taeil teases, turning back to his cat videos and letting Haechan squeeze whatever energy he needs out of him. He doesn’t really need it anyway; he’ll be going to sleep pretty soon.

Haechan listens to Yuta’s muffled sniffs and Taeil’s small hums of amusement, completely at peace. It’s where he feels most comfortable—with his members; his family away from home. It’s where he finds his strength and comfort during the hardest moments of idol life. And Taeil tends to do the best job of easing his chattering thoughts and relaxing his overly tense body. If he were a cat, then Taeil would be his catnip. He closes his eyes and fights off the urge to just fall asleep on top of Taeil, reminding himself that he has his own warm bed down stairs. 

After a few minutes, Haechan finally sits up yawning, slowly rolling out of Taeil’s bed. “Fully charged?” Taeil asks, shifting as he gets feeling back in his arms and legs, Haechan’s hold a bit tighter than usual.

“No, but enough to make it through a few rounds of Overwatch with Chenle and show him how it's done. Why don’t you join us?” Haechan smirks.

“Pass!” Taeil declares, sinking deeper into his bed.

“ _Fiiiine._ But I’ll stop by later to get my full charge.”

“Or just go to sleep,” Taeil laughs, shaking his head as he pops his other earbud back in.

“But why would I do that when I have you, hyung?” He leans over and places a kiss on Taeil’s cheek before skipping off to his own dorm, patting Yuta on the leg on his way out.

“I wonder what he’ll do when he can’t get his _recharge_ from you anymore,” Yuta mutters to Taeil before returning to his anime. Taeil shrugs, figuring Haechan will just find it somewhere else. He has at least 22 other members to choose from.

❤️ 🧸 ❤️

“Hyung! Taeil-hyung!!” Haechan yells as he slams the 10th floor door open. He spots Jaehyun and Jungwoo eating and watching TV. “Where’s Taeil-hyung?” He asks in a hurry. 

“I think he still has some activities,” Jaehyun says before shoveling rice into his mouth. 

“When will he be back?” Haechan asks, his voice sounding thin and tired. Jaehyun looks up and shrugs. Haechan shuffles from foot to foot, looking towards Taeil’s door. “Can I wait in his room? Do you think Yuta-hyung will mind?” Haechan wrings his hands, sounding a bit like he might cry.

“It’s probably fine. Yuta-hyung is out and won’t be back for a while,” Jaehyun says slowly, watching Haechan scamper away. He looks at Jungwoo, giving him a quizzical look.

“He needs a _recharge_ ,” Jungwoo informs him with a pout. “Really badly, it would seem.”

When Taeil returns to the dorms, he’s exhausted and starving, hoping to eat something before sleeping. He waves to Jaehyun who is still in the living room watching a movie. 

“You have a visitor,” Jaehyun says quietly so as not to wake a passed out Jungwoo on his lap. Taeil gives him a questioning look, and Jaehyun mouths ‘Haechan’. Taeil nods, sighing as he grabs a snack and two wine glasses for water. Carefully making his way back to his room, he spots a giant lump he presumes to be Haechan in his bed.

“Haechan?” He asks, closing the door behind him softly. He takes tentative steps towards the bed, sitting down at the edge and placing the two glasses of water on the bedside table, half nibbling on his snack. “Haechan-ie, are you in there?” He pokes the lump which sniffs in response. Pulling back the sheets slowly, Taeil reveals an extremely tired looking Haechan. Placing a soft hand on his cheek, Taeil coaxes Haechan to sit up. “Come on, that’s a good boy. Here, drink up.” Haechan does as he’s told, receiving a tender head pat from Taeil and a warm smile. “There, feel better?” Haechan sniffs but shakes his head. 

“Where were you?” Haechan asks in a quiet, tired voice. It cracks a bit, as if he’s been crying, and Taeil frowns. “I needed you,” Haechan pouts, reaching out and throwing his arms around Taeil. “Today was _so_ long and _so_ tiring. And I really, really needed you.”

“Me? Why?” Taeil asks confused, putting his arms around Haechan and holding him.

“ _To recharge_ ,” Haechan says as if it’s the most obvious answer and Taeil is an idiot for asking. He hiccups, remnants of his old tears surfacing. 

“Ah, right. A recharge, silly me,” Taeil chuckles, rubbing Haechan’s back soothingly. “Have you tried hugging Johnny or Mark? I know Taeyong is quite cuddly too.”

The life they’ve all chosen can take a toll on them; living out your dreams is not without sacrifices. But Haechan is so strong and willful—powering his way through it all. And, Taeil guesses, that’s why he sometimes needs a ‘recharge'. 

He had started the ‘recharge’ bit when he was just a young trainee—an excuse to run around and hug all the older trainees and get away with it. And for some reason it stuck with Taeil years after. Some would say Haechan is too old for such childish behavior, but Taeil doesn’t mind. If it’s what Haechan needs, then as the oldest hyung he’ll endure it. Not that he minds; Taeil actually kind of likes it. 

“I hugged each of the Dreamies, and even tried Doyoung. But it’s just not the same,” Haechan mumbles into Taeil’s shoulder, hugging him tighter. “It only seems to work with you,” he says quietly, as if embarrassed to admit it.

Taeil hums, not fully understanding but accepting it. There are so many people for Haechan to choose from; why it’s Taeil that seems to sooth him the most is beyond Taeil’s scope of understanding. But he doesn’t question it, trusting Haechan’s instincts; he is rarely wrong. Taeil rests his chin on Haechan’s shoulder, drawing slow circles down Haechan’s back. “I’m here now, and you can stay for as long as you need to recharge.”

When Yuta returns an hour later, he finds Haechan passed out and wrapped around Taeil. He snores softly, head rising and falling in time with Taeil’s own shallow breaths. Taeil nods towards Yuta, placing his phone down beside him. 

“Recharging?” Yuta mouths as he removes his coat. Taeil nods, looking down at a more peaceful looking Haechan. Yuta shakes his head. “He’s really going to miss you when you go off to the army in a few years. Too bad you can’t just get him a body pillow or something,” Yuta laughs, settling onto his bed and pulling out his laptop. Taeil chuckles, before getting a serious look on his face. _Not a body pillow…but something else?_ He runs a hand through Haechan’s hair, deep in thought. _Something else just as cuddly, maybe._

❤️ 🧸 ❤️

Taeil stands before a bin of what are essentially deflated plushies. Brow furrowed, he goes through the selection carefully, trying to find the right one. A dog? Perhaps a cat? Not a Minion, those are kind of weird. A bear? _A bear._ He spots a soft, brown bear skin and gingerly picks it up. He exams it with a critical eye for any defects and determines it is fit for service. He follows behind what seems to be a kid’s birthday party, all of them getting their own plushies filled with fluff from a big turning machine. He watches carefully, not wanting to mess up when it’s his turn.

He eventually goes through the same motions as each child did before him—pressing the pedal to fill the bear with fluff, picking out a heart and jumping up and down to ‘get the heart beating’. He even spins around a few times like a princess and kisses the heart so that ‘it knows it’s loved’, making a wish before delicately placing it inside the stuffing. The store assistant had told him he didn’t need to do all those things, it was more for the kids. But Taeil had insisted, wanting to make sure his intentions got properly transferred to the bear. Plus, it looked kind of fun.

“Is this for a _special someone_?” The assistant asks as she sews up the back of the plushie. “A girlfriend, perhaps?”

Taeil laughs awkwardly, shaking his head. “No, but they _are_ special to me.” 

The assistant smiles, handing him the now fully stuffed bear. Taeil takes it graciously, giving it a once over before turning to give it ‘a bath’. He cleans and brushes the bear with care, making sure to make it as soft as possible (though nothing will ever feel as soft and nice as his skin, but the bear is pretty close). Once sufficiently soft, he examines the tiny bear-sized attire to clothes his naked bear. Should he dress it up like a superhero? A firefighter? In a onesie or just regular pajamas? A tutu or some scrubs? None seem right, but then he spots the perfect fit. Giggling to himself, he picks the clothing and heads to the dressing table. Once fully clothed, he scrutinizes the plushie, turning it over and over before nodding in satisfaction. Yes, this will do nicely _._ He smiles triumphantly to himself, holding up his creation and admiring it. 

“Nice to meet you, Taeil-ddy Bear.”

❤️ 🧸 ❤️

“HYUUUUUNG!” Haechan screeches as he rushes into the 10th floor dorm. Mark looks up from his midnight bowl of cereal startled. Haechan goes straight for Taeil’s room, throwing open the door but only finds Yuta. Slamming the door back shut, he stomps back into the kitchen, sitting down next to Mark and pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

“Dude, what’s up? Why were you yelling like a banshee?”

“ _Nothing_ , it’s fine. Just being abandoned by Taeil-hyung, _again_ ,” Haechan mutters dejectedly, almost violently stuffing the cereal into his mouth.

“He went out with Johnny-hyung a few hours ago, so he should be back soon,” Mark informs him, slowly moving his cereal box to a safer spot, afraid Haechan will eat it all in a murderous eating rampage. 

“Yo! Recharger! I’m going to ignore the fact that you just busted down my door without knocking cause I’m feeling nice,” Yuta says from his door, wagging a finger at Haechan before smiling widely. “And let you know that Taeil-hyung left you something. Come get it.” Haechan sighs and gets up, dramatically shuffling his feet. Yuta points towards Taeil’s bed—a bag and card left behind for Haechan. “He said if you stopped by before he got home, to give you this.”

Haechan eyes the bag suspiciously before plopping down on the mattress and opening the card first.

‘ _Haechan-ie,_

_Here is your early Christmas present! ^ ^_

_You’ve been having a tough time these days, working hard and putting all your energy into making our Czennie’s happy. And I’ve been unavailable when you need to ‘recharge’. I have been slacking on my oldest hyung duties lately, and for that I’m sorry._

_To help me out, I have created a new friend_ — _Taeil-ddy Bear! Isn’t he cute?? ^ ^_

_I have taught him everything I know, so he is ready to help out in emergencies. Hug him tightly and he will recharge you just enough until I can come home to you. Then both he and I can get you back to full energy!_

_Love,_

_~Taeil, your favorite hyung ^ ^’_

Haechan rereads the card a few times before turning to the bag and pulling out the ‘Taeil-ddy Bear’. It’s brown and soft, almost as soft as Taeil himself, and he’s wearing Taeil’s signature grey Nike hoodie with black baseball cap. Haechan stares at it for a moment before carefully hugging it. It’s the perfect firmness for hugging tightly, and large enough to curl around. He buries his face in it, surprised to find it smells like Taeil.

“He spritzed it with his body spray, in case you were wondering,” Yuta says, smiling softly as he watches Haechan slowly lie down on Taeil’s bed, cuddling the bear to his chest. Haechan closes his eyes, clutches Taeil-ddy Bear and inhales, imagining it’s Taeil himself. It seems to help a bit, his previous anxieties easing the tiniest amount. He sighs, tears forming in his eyes as he buries his face in the soft fur. He suddenly feels immensely grateful to have a hyung like Moon Taeil.

When Taeil returns he stops at the doorframe to watch Haechan for a minute, glad to see his present was well received. 

“He basically collapsed onto the bed when he hugged it. It’s almost as good as you, I think,” Yuta says from behind him, toothbrush in mouth. 

“That was the idea,” Taeil says with a soft chuckle. 

“Where did you get the idea anyway?”

“From you, actually,” Taeil turns and gives him a high five. “You had suggested a body pillow, but I thought a bear might be better. Though the idea of getting a body pillow with my picture is pretty funny.”

“I know some places in Japan, if you’re interested,” Yuta pats Taeil on the back before wandering back to the bathroom. Taeil doesn’t dwell on Yuta’s random information for too long (he’ll have to ask him about it later), and approaches his bed. He runs tender fingers through Haechan’s hair, stirring him from his rest.

“Hey, sorry I missed you again. But it seems like you found my assistant.”

“The Taeil-ddy Bear is _pretty_ good. But, nothing will ever be as good as the real thing,” Haechan says, sitting up and throwing his arms around the _real_ Taeil-ddy Bear, his most favorite hyung. “Thank you, Taeil-hyung. I don’t deserve this.”

“Of course you do. You’ve worked hard, Haechan-ie. Plus, I made a promise to be there for you. What kind of hyung would I be if I didn’t keep my promise?” Taeil pulls back, reaching for Taeil-ddy Bear and placing it between them. “Just remember that I’m always in your corner, ok? We all are.” 

Haechan nods, smiling sweetly before tackling Taeil onto the bed and cuddling both him and his Taeil-ddy Bear. “Ah! I like you too much!! What do I dooo?!”

Taeil smiles, pulling Haechan to him as he closes his eyes, happy to ease his dongsaeng’s troubled heart, even if just for the moment. 

“Does this mean I get my own Taeil-ddy Bear too?” Johnny asks from the door, eyes big with excitement when he spots Haechan’s plushie. 

“No! Only _I_ get a Taeil-ddy Bear,” Haechan sticks his tongue out, clutching his bear and turning away from the door.

“If you get a Taeil-ddy Bear, then I’ll just take Taeil-hyung!” Johnny declares as he marches into the room and tries to scoop up Taeil from the bed. Haechan begins to argue, pulling Taeil back down and draping his entire body on Taeil, trapping him in place. As they bicker over him, Taeil laughs, thinking maybe he should have just made multiple bears—one for each member.

**Author's Note:**

> Random Notes:  
> +One of my favorite Hyuckil dynamics is Hyuck hugging Taeil to 'recharge'.  
> +I love it when the members refer to Taeil as a teddy bear 😭  
> +I admit, I have 2 or 3 build-a-bear plushies. My favorite is the Toothless one.  
> +oml writing so little is hard for me haha. I had to cut a quarter of the story to get it below 3k words.
> 
> Come say hi/follow me on:  
> +tumblr [@shining-moon-taeil](https://shining-moon-taeil.tumblr.com)  
> +twitter @shining_taeil_


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